Streamers?

[PaulG]

I've been trying to do more streamer fishing, the last couple of years. My question is, what different size streamers do you guys use. I have a good selection, but they're all pretty big, like to try some smallier ones.

Thanks
PaulG

 

[afishinado]

Paul,

I like to fish smaller streamers under clear water conditions and a size or two larger in murky water. I use big buggers at night for big fish.

Wait 'til Jay checks in. His streamers are so big, he ran himself out of material after tying a half dozen and had to stop at the fly shop to restock.

 

[shakey]

i go down to a fourteen for some!

 

[gribble]

Streamers seem to work better at least for me when I'm casting into holes, riffles and what not to where I cant see the fish. I dont sight fish, and I just cast and crank in a area and work the streamer. I have streamers for trout that range from 2"-6". Especially Brown trout they are predators they like to ambush prey, and they like to eat bait! You will not hook alot of trout on streamers the first few times. When you get the hang of the presentation and the depth of the streamer in the water colum you will catch more fish. The best analogy I can give you its like smallmouth bass fishing cast blind cast alot and hang on! I will have some streamer and spey style flies for you to see if you like later this weekend. Take care all, and wade safe! I have tyed a few chickens on hooks before too!..lol...

 

[shipnfish2006]

Streamers are my go to fly type. I tie my trout streamers in sizes 8 through 12, mostly on 3X long hooks. I use the size 12s on wild brookie streams. The sizes 8-10 are typically what I use the most for stockies.

 

[jayL]

Paul,

They can't be too big. I fish #2 4x long hooks on some of mine, and they work well. The time I watched a large brown regurgitate a catchable sized trout convinced me.

I fish a lot of slumpbusters in size 6 4x, which I consider small. I guess it's all in your perspective.

I think the smallest streamers that I actually fish like streamers (stripping) is a few size 10 4x buggers.

I'll tie you a few for the jam.

 

[TimB]

Paul,

For the waters you fish, I'd go 8-12. Bigger flies will certainly get plenty of follows, so if you're prospecting that's a good way to get some fish to show themselves. I'll often rest that spot and come back with a smaller streamer to actually hook the fish.

Weighted streamers in the 8-12 range are easy enough to cast with a 4wt. I use 12's on very small streams with 7' (or shorter) rods. For Clarks, YB etc. I use larger mostly 8's with a 8-9' 4 wt. Up at Penns in high water I'd go larger with a 4 or 5 wt. I let the current do most of the work.

I hope this makes sense.

 

[MKern]

IMO, to be a streamer it has to be big. I tie mostly size 1, 2, & 4's.

Most minnows and fingerling trout are at least a couple inches long.

 

[TimB]

I guess I should qualify what I mean by hook size 8-12. A size 12 is still about 2 inches long (3x hook with tail extending well beyond the bend). A size 8 is pushing 4 inches, depending on the pattern.

Shorter wing/tails have made a difference for new stockies that sometimes grab the tail but not the hook. After being raised on pellets, they seem to want to play with live food. For holdovers or wild fish, the long tail is fine. I don't tie many short tails these days.

 

[boss_steb]

Kelly Galloup has a video out targeting streamer fishing for large fish...and while not all fish in our streams are 20" fish...(he targets 25-30+" fish) I think much of his thought process is good...he also mentions using short shank hooks like clouser hooks on his Zoo Cougers. Slumpbusters are also tied on a shorter shank hook...maybe 3x long...

I have been doing more streamer fishing and have turned on to the slumpbuster by John Barr...I fish mostly 6-8 sizes. Is a woolly bugger considered a streamer?

Boss

 

[jayL]

I have begun articulating my big buggers to prevent short strikes.

I tie the tail on a size 10 4xl hook, and the body on a 2, 4, or 6 4xl.

They run between 4 and 5.5 inches.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Personally I think it depends on the size of the bait fish in a stream.Match the hatch.
However: big bait ,big fish.

 

[boss_steb]

Galloups theory is they strike the head...with that in mind...if a fish was hitting the head, a 4xl or longer may not get the hook aspect in the jaw before an angler sets the hook.

Sort of makes sense...

 

[jayL]

boss_steb wrote:
Galloups theory is they strike the head...with that in mind...if a fish was hitting the head, a 4xl or longer may not get the hook aspect in the jaw before an angler sets the hook.

Sort of makes sense...

I agree that a fish often takes the head, but I think this can be offset by adding a hot spot closer to the point of the hook. I use a large bead at the articulated joint to serve that purpose.

Also, I ALWAYS pause after missing a fish. In MT, I was able to really get a good look at how fish pursue and hit large streamers, since I was in a drift boat. When I'd let it "die" after a miss, I usually got a second shot at them.

 

[gulfgreyhound]

boss_steb wrote:
. Is a woolly bugger considered a streamer?

Boss

I'd say so.

 

[bam]

anywhere from a 10 to a 2 for trout. I'll fish the biggest flies in dirty water or if I'm targeting large trout. Beefy streamers like buggers I tie in a range of sizes, but traditional or bucktail streamers will usually see a size 8 or 10 hook.

 

[gribble]

if your swining flies the hook needs to be in the rear of the fly if you casting and stripping it needs to be some where close behind the eye!

 

[JakesLeakyWaders]

I love streamer fishin' with a big marabou bugger, I prefer olive or brown buggers and the higher the water the bigger the bugger.
Just a little bit of sparkle helps too, and a gold bead head for murky water.

I am most likey to fish a streamer where a fast riffle dumps into a deep run, it's about the only effective way to catch a trout in some situations where they in a deep hole, hugging the bottom.

I won't go into every detail, but sometimes I feel like a streamer will catch trout given the conditions, and a lot of the time I have been right, so now I have a whole box full of streamers and buggers.

 

[Fishidiot]

Paul,
Streamer size is a fascinating topic - I tend to agree with Jay and the others that BIG is GOOD. This is especially true for bass. But, as with so many things, you can get diminishing returns as castability starts to degrade. With due respect to Kelly Galloup, I disagree on placing the hook close to the head. This is fine for bass but my experience is that trout (and pike and muskies) hit the back part of the fly and I miss a lot of trout on long tailed streamers. As for size, I am going to take a different road with regards to describing size. When folks describe streamers by hook size this is a poor referance as the wing can extend way beyond the hook. It is better and more accurate to describe streamer sizes in inches from eye of hook to tip of tail. Once you have a notion of the length one can imagine a matching hook size.
In any case, I consider any streamer for stream trout that is over about 2.5" to be large. I like "monster streamers" for big waters in the fall - these would be articulated trout streamers from about 3" to 5". Since you're interested in smaller streamers, I'd try a bunch around an inch to 1.5" in length. These are good imitations of large swimming nymphs as well as YOY baitfish common in small sizes in the spring and early summer. Although I tend to like big streamers, most of the sculpins I fish are actually pretty small, in the 1.5" to 2" range. I also like a small streamer for mountain brookies, these would be flies about an inch long. Small streamers catch a lot of fish and are better hookers IMO. Of course, if you're after that trophy fish and don't care to catch average trout, stick with the big stuff.

 

[PaulG]

Thank everyone one for all the advice, as usual! I've been fishin streamers the last couple of years in earnest, at least till the fish start rising 🙂 The only thing is all my streamers are all the same size(big) I have been having some luck, so I just wanted to get a variety.

I use to watch TimB fish with streamers( he's the best I've ever seen) so I have gained some knowledge, just wanted to try some smallier ones!

Thanks again!
PaulG